The Chosen One and Her Circle
by EvilFireWitch
Summary: A prophesy is made... Lily is acting strange... What is going on at Hogwarts? Witness James' and Lily's 1st kiss! AU. Please R/R!
1. The Prophesy

A/N: SORRY, I FORGOT THE DISCLAIMERS. SOOOO.... I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. THE ONLY THING I OWN IS THE PLOT, THE CIRCLE, AND... OK, THAT'S ALL. AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE I OWN THAT! SHEESH!  
  
In a small, dark room with only a stone desk in the corner and a pedestal in the center, and no lighting save the glow from a certain book, in the year 3182 B.C.  
  
"What do you see, my Lady?" came a voice from the shadows.  
  
A beautiful girl of about 18, with long, light, blonde hair, pale skin, and haunted, icy-blue eyes was staring, transfixed, at nothing. Her eyes were wide and slightly unfocused, and she gripped the arm of a woman from her Circle as though her life depended on it.  
  
The woman winced as the girl's nails dug into her arm, but said nothing. To move would surely disturb the young Seer, and that could prove fatal, should a prophesy be lost.  
  
The Seer stared, horrified, and answered in a monotone, unaware that she was saying anything at all. It was always this way, with the Seers. "Things. Terrible things. There is bloodshed everywhere. The two races are at war."  
  
Hearing this, the man in the shadows looked up, confused. "Two races, my Lady?"  
  
"Yes. The two human races. Magical and --" she paused, and a spasm of pure terror flashed across her face. "Oh, it is horrible. The people of magic are slaughtering the people called Muggles. The man leading them -- he is the Dark Lord."  
  
The man in the shadows, the Recorder of the Chosen One, was hurriedly writing this down in the Book of Prophesies. His quill raced across the page in the language of the Circle -- only a member, and those intelligent enough to learn the difficult language, could read it.  
  
"Wait. The Magical race is split in two. People under the Dark Lord, and people who wish to stop him." Surprising everyone in the room, the girl smiled. Her eyes, however, remained haunted and unmoving. "The Dark Lord has met his match. I See the Circle. The Chosen One and her Followers will aid in his downfall. One member of the Circle will destroy him forever. One member will save the Chosen One. And one -- the Silver Serpent -- will leave them. I See him -- I See his death. No; he is dying, but I do not See him enter the Light. Perhaps there is still hope." Tears streamed down her face, but her eyes were still wide and unblinking.  
  
"A boy with hair like the night and eyes like the origanum majorana will be the Dark Lord's downfall, when he comes of age. The Dark Lord will fall when this boy -- called Potter -- turns 16."  
  
Her nails began to loosen from the arm she was clutching, and the owner inwardly sighed with relief, then bit back a shriek of pain as the nails cut into her again.  
  
Tears poured down the Seer's face once again, but still her eyes stared and her voice held no emotion. "Pain, everywhere. Many have died, or lie in the arms of their loved ones as they pass into the Light. The Silver Serpent lies in the arms of the Chosen One. She is bent over him. I feel her despair, but cannot see the Serpent's face. His breathing is ragged, so although I do not see him, I fear the worst." The girl gasped, and fell onto her supporter. The vision ended, she fainted.  
  
The woman continued to hold her up as another member of the Circle joined her, and began to pry the nails out of her arm.  
  
The Recorder closed the Book and took it to the center of the room, where he placed it on a stone pedestal.  
  
Turning, the three headed for the door, carrying the unconscious Seer as they made their way from the dark room, lit only by an eerie blue light coming from a book on a pedestal.  
  
A/N: SO, WHAT DID YOU THINK? PLEASE REVIEW! IT MAKES ME SOOO HAPPY. CHEERS! 


	2. The Library and Deranged Teens

A/N: SO SORRY, MY FELLOW FANFIC-ADDICTS (OR AM I THE ONLY ADDICT?) I FORGOT THE DISCLAIMERS. SO, JUST WANNA SAY: IT'S NOT MINE AND NEVER WILL BE!!! (EXCEPT, OF COURSE, THE PLOT, AND THE CIRCLE... BUT THAT'S ALL. *snif*) ENJOY!  
  
The Chosen One and Her Circle Chapter 2  
  
The girl called Lily giggled, then clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. She ran as quietly as she could through the seemingly endless stacks of the Hogwarts Library.  
  
She stopped, panting, in a corner of the books. They'll never find me here! she thought smugly.  
  
Meanwhile, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black hurried through the stacks, also silent.  
  
Too bad it's a full moon... Remus would have loved this! James thought. Shrugging, he continued to tiptoe with as much speed as was possible without alerting Lily of his presence.  
  
James waved at the other boys to get their attention, then signaled that they should surround the corner where they knew Lily was hiding.  
  
Her giggles always give her away! Sirius thought, suppressing laughter.  
  
The three boys snuck up on the unsuspecting girl. When James pounced on her and began to tickle her mercilessly, the other two boys scuttled forward and, dodging her flailing arms and legs, managed to hold her down.  
  
Lily, realizing she wouldn't get out of this one easily, started shrieking, forgetting they were in the library.  
  
James quickly clamped a large hand over her mouth and reminded her of Madame Pince's, the librarian's, wrath.  
  
Lily's eyes grew wide, and she whispered, "Oops," against his palm.  
  
Cautiously, James removed his hand. Sirius and Peter had long since let go of her, and were now keeping watch for the formidable librarian.  
  
James looked down at Lily mischievously, then remembered he was still lying on top of her.  
  
"Um, James, can you get off now? You're kinda heavy." Lily informed him.  
  
"Gasp! Heavy? Me??? How could you?" he replied, his voice mockingly high-pitched. "Maybe they'll have a new diet chart in Witch Weekly! I must remember to check!"  
  
"Oh, stop it, James! I was a silly teenager then who worried about her figure! At least my obsession improved." she added, looking pointedly at James' very untidy hair.  
  
James, failing to notice the laughter in her eyes, began defending his unruly tresses. "Lily, you know I can't do anything about that! I can't help it if my hair is--" He was interrupted by Lily, who had silenced him with a kiss.  
  
Caught off guard, James merely lay there, too shocked to do anything.  
  
Lily pulled back and studied him. They looked at each other unsurely, until James suddenly grinned.  
  
They brought their lips together as one, and Lily's arms slid around his neck, pulling him even closer. James' hands went to tangle themselves in her long, auburn hair.  
  
Completely oblivious to anyone else in the world, they paused only long enough to come up for air.  
  
James' tongue touched her lips, asking for permission. Lily's mouth parted slightly, admitting him.  
  
His tongue slid around her mouth, tasting her, and then her own tongue met his. They massaged each other's tongue, then --  
  
"Get a room, you guys!" Sirius smirked when James and Lily looked up, embarrassed.  
  
A red-faced James Potter helped a similarly-colored Lily to her feet.  
  
"Bugger-off, guys! My Lady Lily and I have a right to ..." he trailed off when he noticed Lily had gone rigid. Her eyes were wide and staring.  
  
"Lily? You okay?" James asked, shaking her.  
  
She turned slowly to face him, and said in a somewhat haunted voice, "James Potter. You will join my Circle." It wasn't a question.  
  
The moment Lily had spoken to him, James had gained a similar look of unfocused eyes and rigid body. Now he answered in a distant voice, "Yes, My Lady. Anything you wish, you have only to ask it of me." So saying, he dropped to one knee and gazed up at the girl, as though paying homage.  
  
Sirius and Peter cracked up.  
  
"You - you guys are hilarious! Think you can get out of being caught kissing by acting all deranged? Ha!" Peter laughed, holding a stitch in his side.  
  
Lily and James ignored him. Raising a hand that glowed silver, she placed it on James' forehead, then withdrew it. A silver circle flared where her hand had been, then disappeared.  
  
"Welcome to the Circle, James Potter." Lily said.  
  
Peter and Sirius had grown quiet upon seeing Lily's glowing hand.  
  
"Um, Peter, I don't think they're kidding..." Sirius was stopped from saying more as Lily turned to face him.  
  
"Sirius Black. You will join my Circle."  
  
Sirius' eyes slid out of focus, and he replied in an unfeeling voice, "Yes, My Lady. Anything you wish, you have only to ask it of me." He mimicked James by dropping to one knee and gazing up at her in reverence.  
  
Lily placed a silver hand on his head, and again the silver circle flared and disappeared.  
  
"Welcome to the Circle, Sirius Black." Lily and James said in unison.  
  
"Lily? James? Sirius? Come on, this isn't funny! You're scaring me." Peter added in a whisper.  
  
The three entranced people paid him no heed. They turned and walked out of the stacks, leaving the library, with Peter following uncertainly behind them.  
  
A/N: HOW WAS IT? PLEASE REVIEW FOR ME! WHEN I GET REVIEWS, I JUMP UP AND DOWN AND SHOUT OUT MY HAPPINESS... SERIOUSLY. CHEERS! 


	3. A New Follower

A/N: SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET THIS UP... SOMETIMES I'M BUSY, OTHER TIMES I HAVE WRITER'S BLOCK, AND SOMETIMES ... WELL, LET'S JUST SAY I REALLLLLY LIKE READING FANFIC.... AND THAT CAN SOMETIMES INTERFERE WITH MY WRITING... SORRY!!! ENOUGH EXCUSES... CHAPTER:  
  
The Chosen One and Her Circle  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Lily Evans, James Potter, and Sirius Black, with a very nervous Peter Pettigrew in tow, walked through the dungeons of Hogwarts. Coming to an open door, the three boys followed Lily inside.  
  
Lily walked into the room and stopped. They were in the Potions Lab, occupied only by Severus Snape and Tom Riddle.  
  
Lily, eyes still wide and staring, body still stiff, turned to face the two young men. They were currently working on a potions assignment.  
  
Severus Snape ignored the four people, three of which were staring at him. He continued to stir the brewing potion, stopping only long enough to add a pinch of powedered beetles' eyes.  
  
Tom, however, did look up at the intruders. Realizing who is was, he sneered. "What do you want, Mudblood?"  
  
Usually, this triggered a long line of curses from Lily that would make any Slytherin cringe, so Tom sat back, awaiting the girl's retailiation with another cold sneer.  
  
She, surprisingly, ignored him, turning instead to face the boy stirring the cauldron.  
  
"Severus Snape. You will join my Circle."  
  
Hearing Lily speak, Severus' eyes became unfocused, and he dropped the spoon into the cauldron, where it almost immediately disolved.  
  
"Yes, My Lady. Anything you wish, you have only to ask it of me." He came around the table and kneeled before her.  
  
Lily's hand, again shining silver, placed itself on the kneeling boy's forehead, and withdrew. The circle glowed brightly, and was gone.  
  
"Welcome to the Circle, Severus Snape." came three unemotional voices, from Lily, James, and Sirius.  
  
"What is going on here?" demanded Tom of Peter.  
  
"I - I don't know... They just ... started acting weird..." Peter stuttered, failing miserably in his attempt to explain their situation.  
  
"Yes, I noticed they were 'acting weird', as you so intelligently put it!" Tom replied, cold as ice.  
  
Peter's answer, if any, was stopped before it began, as Lily, flanked by James, Sirius, and Severus, exited the room.  
  
Looking at Peter, Tom frowned, and followed the four entranced people.  
  
Peter trailed behind, debating whether or not to fetch the Headmaster.  
  
:: No... I'd never make it... I'd just lose sight of them, and I don't want to leave them alone with Tom for long... :: Sighing, he picked up his pace a bit, the better to keep them in sight.  
  
  
  
A/N: YES, I KNOW. IT'S SOOO SHORT, AND I HATE DOING THAT TO YOU... BUT IT HAD TO END THERE, I'M SORRY. IT WAS SHOUTING, "END ME HERE! END ME HERE!" AND I EVEN ADDED ANOTHER PARAGRAPH THAN I'D PLANNED... AGAIN, SORRY. IF YOU REVIEW, I'M LESS LIKELY TO GET WRITER'S BLOCK DUE TO WONDERFUL FEEDBACK!!! CHEERS! OH, AND GO READ "FOOTPRINTS ON THE MOON" BY CHAVI. IT'S SOOO GOOD!!! 


	4. Into The Seeing Room

*snif* BAD NEWS!!! BECAUSE J.K.ROWLING IS PREGNANT (Congrats to her!) , THE NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK RELEASE HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT YEAR, POSSIBLY AS LATE AS NOVEMBER!!! AT LEAST, THAT'S WHAT I HEARD. FROM DRAGONSBANE, ACTUALLY, SO IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE, GO READ HER FICS, AND REVIEW, AND ASK HER! *snif* I'm sad about Harry Potter not coming out, even if it is for a good reason. I'm so selfish.... *hangs head* Oh, well. *snif* HOW WILL WE SURVIVE??? *runs away wailing and bawling*  
  
Oh, an announcement/apology. To everyone who reviewed saying that Tom does not attend Hogwarts during the time that Lily, James, Sirius, etc., do, I would like to apologize for not thinking about it. However, as this story was calling to me, I simply cannot stop the fic because of a minor detail. Because Tom being at Hogwarts right now is very significant to the entire plot, I ask you to please overlook that. Call it an AU, if you will. Perhaps I will, too. Anyway, thank you for pointing that out to me; I never would have realized it. I normally can't stand AU's because they're too ... alternate-universe-ish, but I now understand and appreciate them, as I am writing one now! Hope you guys can overlook it, and if not ....... Well, what would you have me say? Enjoy!  
  
A/N: SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO WRITE THIS ONE... I HAD A STRANGE FORM OF WRITER'S BLOCK. THANKS TO sarahroseblack2002 FOR GIVING ME INCENTIVE TO KEEP WRITING! I LOVE YOU ALL, AND REPLIES TO REVIEWS ARE AT THE BOTTOM! ENJOY!  
  
The Chosen One and Her Circle  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"It is time." Lily said, staring ahead. They were in the dungeons of Hogwarts, deeper than they had ever gone, or even known existed.  
  
"Yes, My Lady." replied Severus, James, and Sirius.  
  
Peter twitched nervously about five feet behind everyone, while Tom, having given up trying to physically wake Severus, now sulked near the young potions wiz.  
  
Lily, James, Sirius, and Severus joined hands, forming a circle, and began chanting in a strange language.  
  
"Won ktsum en onesoh ceht tah tmo o reht d'na Seisehprop foko obeht o tus dae logote reh wsu wohs Elcric eht focig amo!"  
  
Their voices sounded far away, and Tom and Peter shivered, feeling the raw power in the very words themselves.  
  
At the center of their circle, a silver orb had begun to grow, pulsating, and shining with a light so bright that only the chanting four seemed able to look at it.  
  
Just as the magical tension felt so thick it could be cut, the four shouted, "Unity! Joined as one! The Circle!" All was silent.  
  
They dropped each other's hands, and the orb began floating down the corridor. Everyone followed, Peter and Tom curious and afraid. They followed the silver ball down corridor after corridor, leading them deeper and deeper under the castle. Just as Peter was about to fall over from exhaustion, they stopped.  
  
Lily reached out, placing her hand inside the silver orb, then withdrew it.  
  
Peter noticed the four people's foreheads now glowed brightly. Upon closer inspection, he realized they each had a silver circle there, even Lily.  
  
The floating silver ball had moved up against a corridor wall, and began expanding until it formed a huge, silver wall. Lily, followed by James, Sirius, and Severus, and then Tom and Peter, stepped into the glowing silver - and vanished.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*  
  
They were in a room of stone that looked thousands of years old. A stone pedestal in the middle of the room shone with a strange light, and a desk sat in the shadows. There was not a single particle of dust in the entire room.  
  
Peter and Tom hid in the shadows, and watched in wonder as Severus took his place at the desk, James stood off to the side, Sirius walked to the middle of the room, and Lily walked to the pedestal.  
  
She picked up the book, took it to Severus' desk, and placed her hand on its cover. Her palm glowed with a silver light, and when she removed it, there was a glowing silver circle on the cover. The circle's light dimmed, and the book shuddered. Suddenly, it flopped open, and a quill and ink pot materialized on the desk.  
  
Still everyone remained silent, and Lily joined Sirius in the middle of the room. He got down on one knee and extended his arm, which Lily grasped in both hands.  
  
A/N: I KNOW, I KNOW.... A CLIFFY. I'M SORRY, BUT IT TOLD ME TO STOP THERE AND I COMPLIED. I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE TO THE WORLD THAT MY PUPPIES ARE NEARLY FINISHED OPENING THEIR EYES, AND TODAY I WITNESSED THEM PLAYING WITH EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME! THEY WERE GROWLING AND BARKING AND GNAWING WITH THEIR GUMS AND CRAWLING ALL OVER EACH OTHER ... IT WAS SO CUTE!!!  
  
THANKS GO TO....  
  
Narrator Goddess: Thanks! I love when the readers like the fic, so your words mean a lot to me! And as to the mythology... Not exactly, but ... I suppose you can call it that... : )  
  
Anonymous: Thank you! Not only did you like my fic, you made me laugh! ":::Trails off in laughter:::" Very funny. Thanks again, and keep reviewing; I like to laugh! I also like reviews... ; )  
  
Chavi: Thank you, dear!!!! I'm glad you "love" it. Your opinion means a lot to me... And what the heck is MMHS? Lots of luv....  
  
Firebird: Wow! This is ... THE longest review I've gotten... Not that I have many to compare it to... *snif* But thanks!!! As to the "Circle thing", I'm not telling you!! You'll just have to wait and find out! They are talking funny because they are in a trance, and sort of ... being forced, in a way, to say those things. As I said, they are in a trance of sorts... Thank you for your help as to Tom Riddle's school years in comparison to Lily's and James'. If I had bothered to think about it before you had said anything, I would have realized I was off, but.... well, read the text above my "A/N". Well, thank you again!  
  
alwayzluvxoxo: Wow! Thanks! I'm glad you love it!! I try to write fairly often, but what with school, dance, school, voice, school, guitar, school, and two other stories to write for, plus the added load of school, (sensing a pattern, here?), it is very difficult for me to get this up often. A thousand apologies, but that is just the way it is... : ( I don't like it any more than you do...  
  
zoogerbas1: You are getting ahead of me, here! I'm still in the Lily-James- at-school time period! Yes, I will eventually get to Harry's school life, etc., but probably not for a few more chapters, at least. As to the Malfoy in the Circle thing, I am assuming you meant Draco, not Lucius, but I could be wrong... And I'm not going to say who will be in the Circle in the future, but right now, the Circle is complete. Finally! Took me forever to decide whether I should use Severus or not, but I think it was both necessary and appropriate. A ritual? Well, the Seeing Room is their form of "ritual", if you will. I don't know what you had in mind; I'd be happy to hear any ideas, but I don't see a ritual going farther than the Seeing, at least at this point. Thanks for your review! Wait, no, thanks for your TWO reviews!!  
  
CrimsonFirebolt: Thanks, I was actually trying for a "creepy" feeling, and you are the only one to say anything, so thanks!! And I'm glad you love it! (I'm feeling all special; everyone likes this story!!) "Sympathy for the Slytherin"? Hmm... I may just go check that out some time... And yes, it was I who reviewed your fic. I'll probably look at your other one some day soon, also. Thanks again!  
  
CrimsonFirebolt: Hehe, I know that Tom went to Hogwarts before Harry, but did anyone actually say when Lily and James graduated?? Oh, well. See the very beginning of this chapter for a more ... expanded version of my viewpoint on this matter... And thanks a million; I never thought I'd actually hear/see someone say my story, any of them, "rocks"! I am very pleased; thank you sooo much!  
  
sarahroseblack2002: Oops, I think in my other HP fic that I called you "Sarah_Rose_Black"... um.... sorry! Yell at me if you want, but do it in a review, hehe!! Get well soon, and if anyone else is reading this, I hope they pray for you to get better, too. Otherwise, how will you come to my Harry Potter party next weekend?? Lots of luv and healing to you! Um.. It's "Artemis". It's ok if you can't spell it; you'll eventually get the hang of it! I hope I will be famous some day, but I still have a lot to learn... People think I'm crazy because my favorite class is English, but what can I say? I loooove you, and so does Xavier. Get well, Athena! Oh, and I dunno how you want to say it, but in the note I wrote you the other day, I put "Saravort". Pick, but ... kinda clumsy with the "sarahvolt".... Maybe it was a type-o... *snif* miss you, and get better!  
  
Dragonsbane: Hi again! I'm glad you like it; I try! I'm even more happy that you love it!! As I said, I try to make it good. This chapter didn't feel quite right -- I was interrupted in the middle of writing it, and couldn't finnish until almost a week later... You are the umpteenth person to remind me of this, and I thank you all. Tom did not go to Hogwarts at the same time as Lily and James, no. Please read the very beginning of this chapter for more details concerning this... Hope to hear from you soon on chat (and reviews!)...  
  
TO YOU ALL: THANK YOU ALL SOOO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! I'M ECSTATIC THAT YOU LIKE/LOVE THIS FIC!!! I'M SORRY ABOUT ALL OF THE CONFUSION CONCERNING TOM RIDDLE, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE THIS WAY. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS CHAPTER BY REVIEWING!!! ALSO, IF YOU HAVE YAHOO MESSENGER, I LOOOOVE TO CHAT! ESPECIALLY ABOUT HARRY POTTER! 


	5. Lost in the Dungeons

A/N: HEY EVERYONE!!! SORRIES AND MORE SORRIES THAT THIS TOOK ME FOREVER TO GET UP... I HAD THIS HORRID CASE OF WRITER'S BLOCK, AND COULDN'T WRITE ANYTHING AT ALL, NOT EVEN MY OTHER FICS!! I HATED IT! : ( BUT I'M BETTER NOW (I THINK)... SEE, I RE-WROTE THE ENDING OF CH. 4, AND THEN CH. 5 JUST ... POURED OUT. I WAS SO HAPPY! ANYWAY, ON TO THE STORY....  
  
The Chosen One and Her Circle Chapter 5  
  
Tears poured down the Chosen One's face. She was Seeing a terrible battle between the Light and Dark magics.  
  
Tom Riddle was reading the Book of Prophesies, unseen by anyone -- Peter had covered his eyes and hidden in fright, and everyone else was entranced.  
  
Tom had studdied the Language of the Circle in his fourth year, out of boredom, and now saw that the supposedly fictional language was going to come in handy.  
  
Lily Evans had predicted nothing he was interesed in, and this book was not much better. Who cared if some psycho, idiot wizard met his match in a mere boy? HE would take the fallen man's place and rule all the world!  
  
He looked up from the book, and saw Lily gasp, then fall in a faint.  
  
:: Too bad Black caught her... :: Tom thought bitterly.  
  
Sirius picked her up, Severus closed the Book and put it back, and they all exited the Seeing Room, Peter still quivering and jumping at the sight of his own shadow.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
They were in the deepest part of Hogwarts' dungeons, and Sirius Black, James Potter, and Severus Snape were MAD.  
  
"What the bloody Hell did you do to us, Snape? Where are we?!" Sirius yelled, laying Lily out of the way and getting out his wand.  
  
"What are you playing at, Black?! I did nothing! This is just another of your stupid pranks!" He yelled back, turning a lovely shad of pink. He got out his own wand.  
  
"Oh, really? Then why is Lily UNCONCIOUS with tears all over her face? And why is Sirius' arm mauled?!" James yelled at him.  
  
"How the Hell should I know?! You're the ones with strangely-working minds!" Snape yelled back, a hint of panic edging his voice.  
  
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," came a silky murmur from the shadows. "Do put your weapons down. I was awake the entire time, and would be so happy to share it all with you." Tom Riddle stepped into the torchlight.  
  
"Go on..." James said suspiciously.  
  
"No, I don't think I will... I'll just let you stay here and . . . starve. As you don't know the way back." He said, turning around and briskly walking away. "Come, Snape, Pettigrew, you DO want out of here, do you not?"  
  
Shrugging apologetically at Sirius and James, he turned and followed Tom down the corridor and out of sight.  
  
Sirius and James looked at each other, then at Lily, then back to each other, mouths gaping holes in the shadowy torchlight.  
  
"I think we're in trouble, Sirius." James said regretfully.  
  
"Yes." He agreed.  
  
They sat down on either side of Lily and waited for the girl to wake.  
  
A/N: WELL, WHAT DID YOU THINK? I KNOW, I KNOW, MY CHAPPIES ARE ALWAYS SHORT, AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT ... I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO SQUEEZE OUT MORE THAN THAT AT A TIME! AH, MY KITTY WANTS TO GO OUTSIDE... :D I LOVE HER! HER NAME IS CLAIRE AND SHE IS SWEET! ANYWAY... THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED, HOPEFULLY I'LL REPLY TO YOU SOON! CHEERS! 


	6. Remembering

A/N: HEY, Y'ALL! HOPE YOU CAN READ THIS NEW STYLE OF DOCUMENT THAT I'M USING... AND I HOPE IT LOADS CORRECTLY! I'M REALLY ON A ROLL, HERE! TWO CHAPTERS IN A WEEK! WOW! ALSO, LOTS OF REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPY, AND WHEN I'M HAPPY, I WRITE, AND WHEN I WRITE, I POST, AND WHEN I POST, YOU READ, AND THEN IF YOU ARE NICE, YOU REVIEW, AND THAT MAKES ME HAPPY, AND ... YOU GET THE IDEA? SO REVIEW, PLEASE!!!! ENJOY!  
  
The Chosen One and Her Circle Chapter 6 Remembering  
  
Lily sat up rather groggily, and grabbed her head in both hands, blinking furiously. The world was spinning!  
  
She moaned, and put a hand down to steady herself. Her hand came in contact with a warm, soft, squishy-feeling something, and she shrieked. This, however, hurt her head, and she quickly became quiet again.  
  
James had sat up as soon as Lily had touched him, and now he and Sirius were wide awake.  
  
"What? Who screamed? What's wrong?" Sirius asked frantically, searching for his wand. The torch had long gone out.  
  
"Lily's awake, Sirius. She put her hand on me and freaked out. Everything's fine -- well, besides the fact that we have no idea of where we are, how we got here, or what happened." James added bitterly.  
  
Remembering this, Sirius groaned. "Lumos," he whispered, and his wand lit up the dark dungeon corridor.  
  
The two boys stared at Lily, who stared back, still clutching her head and blinking.  
  
"Lily, are you all right?" James asked, concern edging his voice. He scrambled over to her and took her shoulders, looking at her unfocused eyes worriedly.  
  
She gazed at him dizzily, then whispered, "James? Hold still. Everything's spinning."  
  
James, not knowing what else to do, sat next to her and cradled her, hoping her nausea would end soon.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
James and Sirius woke to the terrifying sou8nd of Lily screaming. James, who was still cuddling her, was being beaten by her flailing arms.  
  
"Lily! Lily, wake up!" James shook her shoulders.  
  
"I'm getting tired of her." Sirius commented dryly, unable to see the glare James shot in the direction of his voice.  
  
"Lily, please wake up! Lily! You're dreaming!" James said helplessly, still shaking her.  
  
Sirius had once again lit his wand, and both he and James could see the girl plainly now.  
  
Suddenly, she stopped moving. Lily stared at James with wide, frightened eyes, and seemed to be struggling for air.  
  
She collapsed on James' shoulder with a shower of tears and wracking sobs, clutching him as though afraid he would be taken away.  
  
"Oh, James," she sobbed, "It was terrible!"  
  
"Shhh, Lily, it was only a dream," James said, patting her back.  
  
Lily's sobs eventually receded to sniffles and deep, emotionally- drained sighs.  
  
Lily pulled back and looked at James as though contemplating something. She sat this way for a while, before looking decidedly satisfied, and then looked at both the boys.  
  
"James, Sirius, wasn't that odd?" She asked, looking between the two of them. "Of course, I'd read all about it before, but I, and the rest of the wizarding world, had always thought it a myth; untrue." She said this last bit in wonder, as though still unable to believe it.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked her.  
  
Lily looked at him sharply. "You don't remember? None of it, the Seeing Room, the scratches on your arm, the wall, the language we couldn't speak or understand until the ... the ... the something took over our bodies? The pedestal, the book? Any of it?" She looked helplessly at the two boys, as though afraid she was going insane, being the only one to remember any of it.  
  
Sirius and James looked at each other, apparently afraid of the same thing.  
  
"Lily... Maybe that was your dream?" James said hesitantly.  
  
"No! It was real! I was there, I saw it, I scratched his arm up, I cried, I saw my death. It was real." She said this shakily, afraid to carry the burden of such a large and painful memory alone.  
  
"You what?!" Sirius and James said in unison.  
  
"Lily, you did this to my arm?" Sirius asked, unbelieving that a friend would do that to him.  
  
"What do you mean, you 'saw your death'?" James asked her, also finding it all hard to take in.  
  
"You don't remember." Lily said, shaking her head sadly.  
  
All of a sudden, she looked up excitedly. "I could ... yes. I will. I want you to remember, and you need to know... But I should think it over first... Let me think a minute in quiet, will you please?" She said loudly, as Sirius and James had been pelting her with wild questions for the past two minutes.  
  
They obligingly fell silent, and Lily sat for a long time, just thinking.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The boys were growing very restless. Lily had been "thinking" for the past half an hour, and they were tired of it.  
  
"I'm hungry." That was Sirius.  
  
This pronouncement jolted Lily out of her reverie, and she glanced at them apologetically. "Sorry, guys, that took forever, didn't it? I kind of lost myself there."  
  
"Okay, James, Sirius, who wants to go first? I can't do both of you at once. In fact, it might even take me a while after doing one before I can do the other..." She said to herself.  
  
The boys merely looked at each other, bewildered.  
  
"Lily? What are you talking about?" Sirius asked her, looking as though she had grown three heads or an extra leg.  
  
"You won't understand this just yet, Sirius, but your body and mind is in shock, and blanked out today's events. I'm going to go into your mind and retrieve those memories, bringing them back into the front of your mind. You could say your body went into a sort of denial phase." She explained patiently to Sirius and James, who were now nearly sure she was crazy.  
  
Lily sighed. "I suppose this could be better left alone, and your memories might come back, eventually, but I doubt it. You see, what we went through was very ... traumatic," she said, swallowing, "and I think that unless someone goes after them, those memories, and any that follow it, would be lost forever."  
  
"Just humor her -- it's better than her ripping you to shreds with that temper of hers later!" Sirius whispered to James.  
  
"I heard that!" Lily snapped at him.  
  
"Lily? You say that I'm going to understand this later? You mean, after you do ... whatever it is that you're going to do?" James asked hesitantly.  
  
"Yes. I promise that if it works -- and it might not, as I'm new at this -- it will make sense.  
  
"Now, this might hurt a bit when I'm through, James. Not physically, but ... emotionally."  
  
James gulped, as Lily's hands were glowing silver, and tried hard not to flinch as she laid them on his temples.  
  
Lily's pupils shrank in the dark, and Sirius scooted back against the wall, away from her glowing hands. She began muttering under her breath, and James looked hypnotized by the inaudible words and her contracted eyes.  
  
Lily sat back, letting go of James, who gasped. Images were flashing before his eyes, and his mind was taken on with such a knowledge, such power, such wisdom, that he could hardly contain it all in one mind.  
  
And suddenly, he understood. James Potter understood what Lily Evans had just done to him. He understood what she had meant by "seeing her death". He understood why she had been dizzy, and then fallen asleep, and then why she had cried. He understood why he didn't remember. And he knew that now, now, he remembered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sirius Black was afraid. He would never admit it, but he was afraid. Lily had just done something to James, and it had made the boy weep silent tears -- Sirius didn't think James had even realized he was crying, as no normal boy would have cried in front of another human being, it just wasn't done at their age -- and then James had gasped, and been come over with such a look of ... of understanding, that Sirius had been afraid.  
  
"Your turn, Sirius. That didn't take as much out of me as I had thought it would. It must be because I am the Chosen One." Lily said to him.  
  
Sirius turned his wide eyes on her, and backed up even more, if such a thing were possible, trying to be inconspicuous.  
  
"Sirius, don't be afraid. It's a good thing, the remembering. It doesn't really hurt, so much as ... itch." James said in understanding. "Besides, you don't want her to rip you up later with that temper of hers, do you?" He asked jokingly.  
  
Sirius took a deep breath and scooted toward the waiting Lily. She looked at him kindly, and said, "Sirius, I won't hurt you. I never would, and I never will. You know that."  
  
Hearing this, and getting an encouraging nod from James, Sirius put on a brave face, and braced himself.  
  
It was much a repeat of the last time, except that James saw and understood everything that went on. It was a new thing to him, his understanding, and he quite liked it, frightening though it was.  
  
When at last Lily sat back and Sirius was allowed to think about all that had happened, James smiled at Lily. He knew that it truly had taken a toll on the girl, and that she only made Sirius remember so soon because she knew he had been afraid.  
  
Sirius, too, was hit with an onslaught of power, understanding, and wisdom. He was no longer afraid of what Lily had done to him and James. He remembered all that had happened that day, from the point of catching Lily and James kissing in the Library, to the point of waking up only to not know where he was or how he had got there. He knew, also, how his arm had become they way it was, and why it must be so, every time they went into the Seeing Room. He knew and understood what the Seeing Room was. And he knew, now, how to get out of the dungeons. Sirius Black understood, remembered, knew, and smiled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: WELL, WHAT DID YOU THINK? I KNOW, IT WAS LONG!!!! I WAS AMAZED! I JUST STARTED WRITING, AND THOUGHT, WELL, I'M ALMOST DONE, MIGHT AS WELL TYPE WHAT I HAVE, BUT THEN I JUST KEPT TYPING, AND TYPING, AND TYPING, AND SUDDENLY THE CHAPTER AND MY MUSES SHOUTED, "STOP!", AND SO I STOPPED. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPPIE, AND THAT YOU REVIEW!! CHEERS!  
  
NOTE: I WILL PROBABLY TAKE A WHILE TO GET ANOTHER CHAPTER UP, AS I AM COMING TO A CRUCIAL AND SLIGHTLY-YET-UNFORMED PART OF THE PLOT. I APOLOGIZE FOR MAKING EVERYONE WAIT, BUT IT ISN'T QUITE READY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO EMAIL YOU WHEN I HAVE THE NEXT CHAPTER UP, PLEASE SAY SO IN YOUR REVIEW. OTHERWISE, CHECK BACK IN ... WELL, PROBABLY NO EARLIER THAN A WEEK. SORRIES!  
  
THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED! YOU GUYS ARE A BIG HELP, BUT SOME PEOPLE COULD DEFINITELY SAY WHY THEY DO OR DO NOT LIKE SOMETHING... THAT REALLY HELPS ME LEARN, AND IT CAN ALSO HELP THE CHAPPIES TO TURN OUT FASTER AND BETTER. THANKS!!!  
  
Thankyous:  
  
kitty-kat-katherine: Thanks for reviewing, kat! How do I come up with all of these words? Hahaha, I've never been asked THAT before...:D Well, I just hate being redundant, so I think really hard about words that could mean the same thing. I even have a sorta-kinda mental/on paper, depending, list of words to use... I haven't even had the opportunity to use my fav word yet! Not telling! Huggles!  
  
Firebird: Hey, thanks for reviewing again! It makes me smile even more when the same people review... Knowing that someone actually comes back is like sunshine on a cloudy day... *sigh* :D Well... You'll have to tell me about your HP fic! I want to read it! If you are having trouble understanding my very confusing fic, I'd be more than happy to explain what has already taken place, but I can't tell you what is going to happen... Even I don't know for sure, yet. Cheers!  
  
Dragonsbane: Hi!! Thanks for reviewing! And thanks for liking my fic even though my chappies are usually short... Though not so much this one... Cheers, and hope to chat with you soon!  
  
Firebird: Again: Hi!!! Thanks again for reviewing! Yes, I know about Richard Harris, that makes me very sad...:( I think he made a good Dumbledore, don't you? We'll miss him in future HP movies, that's for sure...  
  
Firebird: Again: Again: Thanks once more for reviewing! I actually got this chapter out easily. It just flooowed, if you know what I mean. But as I said above, the next chapter will probably be a while... I have to sort through my muddled ideas and decide which I'm going to use, and how... And then find the time to write it all down. :D Cheers!  
  
Artimus: Thanks, Arti, for reviewing! Such a sweet friend! Thanks for reading my fics, and for sending me get-well wishes, and again for reviewing. Talk to you later!  
  
Robert: I'm glad you liked it, but I have NO CLUE as to what the heck you were talking about in your review... Frosted flakes? Gos???? I'm so confused... Thanks anyway, though...  
  
sarahroseblack2002: Thanks for reviewing! I'm gonna give you a hug tomorrow!!! Sorries about not being able to go see HP COS with you... I REALLY wanted to... Wined about it, didn't get a response, and decided to give it up... Besides, I'm still a bit sick...:( *blush* I'm embarrassed... You aren't supposed to tell people to read my fic; that embarrasses me... Thanks though! Muahs! Huggles!  
  
Dragonsbane: Again: Hi!!! Yes, I see the happy face...:-D It's cute! What was the "ching ching ching" thing? (Wow, that rhymed... Didn't do that on purpose...) And yes, we both have short chappies... *sigh* Oh, well. This one was a bit longer, yes? And you are NOWT for reviewing during class... Thanks! :D Cheers!  
  
Chavi: Yay! Another chappie, and another review from Chavi, my dear friend... Thanks! And Sirius IS sorta cute in that one, isn't he? I never thought of it quite that way... But I suppose he is! (Yes, I know you said "great", not "cute", but that is my translation of your "great" word... Sorries if I'm a tad off...) Cheers!  
  
Firebird: Again: Again: Again: Ha! Thanks! I LOVE when people review! I feel special! *blush* You think my short chappies are good? I'm flattered. Thanks sooooo much, and please review again! Cheers!  
  
THANKS TO EVERYONE ONE MORE TIME, AND PLEASE HANG TIGHT WHILST I TRY TO GET OUT THIS NEXT CHAPTER... CHEERS! 


	7. Tom's Proposition

A/N: Sorry this took me forever, guys. I had some issues about telling Snape what had happend--couldn't decide if I should wait until he's forty, or tell him now. Sooo... I realize this chapter is seemingly uneventful, but trust me--it is a key to the plot. Eventually. Hehe. Oh, and thanks go to Sarah Rose Black, for sending me my first flame! (She threatened to embarrass me at prom if I didn't get up my next chapter soon, and save her from 7th hour's boredom...) Enjoy! (And review for me? I haven't gotten any for ages, save Sarah, and I know that's my fault, but still!)  
  
The Chosen One and Her Circle Chapter 7  
  
Severus, Peter, and Tom emerged into the light of the Entrance Hall, blinking at the bright sun shining through the windows.  
  
"Peter, Severus, follow me." Tom ordered, ignoring protests from both parties.  
  
He led them up this stair and down that, through this hall, and that door, and up this stair, and hadn't they been here already? It seemed to go on for eternity, but at last he checked the hallways for bystanders and, finding none, muttered a password at the wall. It opened up much like that of Diagon Alley's entrance, and he beckoned for the two other boys to follow him.  
  
Stepping into the room, Peter gasped, asking where they were, and wouldn't they get in trouble for being there, but Tom chuckled, answering, "No others know of this place, not even that old fool Dumbledore!"  
  
Severus was speechless. They were in a large common room that was curiously devoid of artwork, dormitories, or an entrance or exit of any kind. He knew that there was truth in what Tom said, but being there, in that large and "unknown" place, made him nervous.  
  
"Well? Tom, why did you bring us here, if it is your personal lounge, as I assume?" asked Severus, ever the suspicious.  
  
Tom chuckled again, a deep and menacing sound from within his very being. It sounded to Severus as though he practiced it in front of the mirror when he was alone, it was so perfect, so intimidating--but not to him. No one, and no one, could intimidate Severus Snape!  
  
"I brought you here to make you a deal," he began, banishing the dust off of a couch and stretching out on it gracefully. "I will tell you what transpired, and explain it to Pettigrew there, if you two will bargain with me." He examined his fingernails while he let them soak this up, and directed a spell at a broken nail, fixing it instantly.  
  
"What sort of 'bargain'...?" Severus finally asked. Peter remained silent.  
  
"Just know that if you turn me down, I will be forced to perform memory charms on you, and first you must agree to that." Tom demanded.  
  
Shrugging, Severus agreed. Peter, never one for peer pressure, nodded his assent also.  
  
Seeming satisfied, Tom went back to examining his fingernails, and continued to speak. "I read about this in the Book that those twits were writing in..." he began. "But then, you wouldn't know about that, either, would you?"  
  
"Just get on with it, Riddle, I haven't all day!" Severus said peevishly.  
  
"Keep your robes on, Snape." Tom waved his wand, and a goblet of pumpkin juice appeared in front of him. He reached for it, and took a long drag, before speaking once more. "You have heard of the Chosen One, and her Cicle, have you not? And the Seeing Room?" He glanced at Severus over his goblet, smiling to himself.  
  
Severus had went into a scholarly state--eyes half-glazed-over, mouth running a mile a minute--and finnished what Tom was about to say. "And within the legendary Seeing Room stone pedestal, upon which lies the Book of Prophesies! And the Recorder, and Observer, and Supporter, and of course the Chosen One... But what has that to do with what happened?" He asked, then answered himself. "Ah, but those in her Circle never remember what they do, where they are, until the Chosen One sees fit to release them from the state their minds have entered--much like denial." He turned eyes to Tom. "That is what you wanted me to know? That I have entered the Circle? That I am part of a legend that does not exist?" He scoffed at Tom. "And what do you ask in return of this valuable information?" Severus crossed his arms, sneering.  
  
"Do not seek to mock me, Snape. I know what I am about." Tom warned him.  
  
Peter was looking on in half interest, half fright as the two had their discussion. However, curiosity having won over, he piped up. "What are you talking about, Snape? And you, Riddle? Don't leave a friend in the dark, here."  
  
Tom laughed. "Oh, but by the time I am done, you both will be very much in the dark indeed, Pettigrew..."  
  
"Riddle, just explain yourself already." Snape said impatiently.  
  
"Yes, yes, I'm getting to that..." Tom said, finnishing off the pumpkin juice and banishing the goblet to the far end of the room. It crashed into the wall and shattered.  
  
He turned his gaze on Severus, then Peter. "I read in their Book of Prophesies--I studied their language in my fourth year--that one day, a Dark wizard would be overthrown by a young boy of merely 16 years. I have, as you have probably guessed, Snape, been very interested in the Dark Arts for quite some time now... I want to prepare myself to rise up and overtake the place of this prophesized Dark wizard. For that I need followers. You two would be my first. You, Snape, a Potions genius, would be wonderful to have on my side. And of course, Pettigrew there would be nice, too, as he spends much of his time with Potter and Black, that crowd. A spy, if you will--I would not be surprised if they spent their whole lives in waste, plotting to overthrow me after I succeed the Dark Throne." Tom stopped, letting this sink in.  
  
Severus was never one to be thrown, and immediately asked, "What would you require of me? And how many are in your group already?"  
  
Tom smiled secretively. "I will not tell you all of the group--I like to keep my followers wondering--but I will tell you this: you are not the first, and will not be the last. As to what would be required of you... Merely to call me 'master' and attend meetings, purge Muggles, that sort of Dark thing. And in your special case, mixing together certain ... potions which I would require in my future position as ... immortal."  
  
Severus and Peter both started at Tom's last declaration. "Immortal?" Severus asked incredulously. "And how, pray tell, do you plan to achieve that?!"  
  
"As I said before, Snape, I like to keep my followers wondering." Tom replied.  
  
"But what do I get out of this?" Peter asked, whining.  
  
"You? You get to live." Tom answered darkly.  
  
Peter gulped. "Well, then, hehe..." he squeaked " no reason to not agree to that one, haha, as I'm getting so much out of it..."  
  
"And you, Snape?" Tom asked.  
  
Snape studdied him for a moment, then said, "All right, Master, but only because I want to try that potion to make one immortal..."  
  
Tom grinned. "That's all I ask. For now..."  
  
A/N: I love you all! Don't forget to review! 


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